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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Snapshots: Nugent-Hopkins, Malkin, Marner

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Edmonton Oilers centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to stick in the lineup for Game 6 despite missing Monday’s practice, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. His off-day will instead be chalked up to rest, after Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 20 minutes of action in Game 5.

Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 24 minutes of ice time and scored two points in Edmonton’s 5-4 win over Florida in Game 4. He ranks third on the Oilers’ offense in ice time (19:44) and postseason scoring (20 points in 21 games) behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It’s the expected pecking order, but Nugent-Hopkins’ role has still been a crucial part of Edmonton’s postseason success. They’ll rest assured knowing he’s expected to appear in a must-win game on Tuesday.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Retirement winds are beginning to blow around Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin. It remains unclear exactly when the Russian forward is expecting to retire, though sources around the team say Pittsburgh is unlikely to offer him a new contract next summer, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Malkin will enter unrestricted free agency after the 2025-26 season after riding out a four-year, $24.4MM contract. He posted the lowest scoring pace of his career this season, with 50 points in 68 games equating to 0.74 points-per-game. That mark surpassed his previous career-low of 0.82 set last season, when he scored 27 goals and 67 points in 82 games. Those numbers are still mighty impressive, and could earn Malkin a few more years even as he slows down. He could also be a candidate to leave the NHL with a few good years left, and finish his playing career in Russia’s KHL. Mettalurg Magnitogorsk continue to hold Malkin’s KHL rights. He previously appeared in 169 games and scored 156 points with the club.
  • Top free agent Mitch Marner may take his time deciding on a new landing spot when the market opens on July 1st, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman adds that Marner could have plans to establish meetings throughout multiple cities before he signs his next deal. Negotiations for Marner’s last contract – a six-year, $65.41MM deal signed in 2019 – notoriously dragged on through September. He posted multiple career-years on the deal, including breaking the century mark for the first time this season with 102 points in 81 games. Marner is likely to rival records with a lengthy and expensive deal this season. Taking time to ensure it’s with the right fit will be a helpful bit of due diligence.

Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Uncertain For Game 3

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June 9: Nugent-Hopkins is still questionable for Game 3 and remains a game-time decision, although Knoblauch told reporters today he’ll take warmups regardless (according to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug).

June 8: The Oilers may be down a crucial top-six forward as the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Florida. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be a game-time decision for Monday’s Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury after missing Sunday’s practice session, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters (including Tony Brar of Oilers TV).

Nugent-Hopkins didn’t miss a shift in Game 2’s double-overtime loss and didn’t miss a game due to a non-illness-related injury all season long. He’s routinely been starting games on the wing with Connor McDavid and Corey Perry, but he’s also alternated with Leon Draisaitl as the club’s second-line center. When shifted to Draisaitl’s spot between Evander Kane and Kasperi Kapanen later in Game 2, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal relays that Kane was taking faceoffs instead of Nugent-Hopkins, pointing to a speculative upper-body issue.

On the heels of an underwhelming regular season, Nugent-Hopkins has turned up the heat in the postseason. The 32-year-old is operating at a point per game with a 5-13–18 scoring line despite being held off the scoresheet in his last three appearances. He was especially dominant in Edmonton’s Western Conference Final victory over the Stars, posting a 2-7–9 scoring line in Games 1 through 4.

A potential Nugent-Hopkins absence with a 2-1 series lead on the line is exacerbated by the unavailability of usual Connor McDavid/RNH linemate Zach Hyman, who sustained a serious wrist injury in the Dallas series and is done for the year. While depth pieces like Kapanen and Perry have far exceeded expectations when elevated into top-six roles this postseason, there’s rightful concern about eating too deep into their depth in a seven-game series against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Jeff Skinner, a healthy scratch for all but two games in these playoffs, took line rushes in today’s practice in Nugent-Hopkins’ place alongside McDavid and Perry and will presumably enter the lineup if RNH can’t go. In his first career postseason action, the veteran of nearly 1,100 regular-season games has a goal and an assist over his pair of appearances.

Latest On Edmonton Oilers Injuries

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Teams around the NHL received long lists of injury updates headed into the weekend. None were more important than for the Edmonton Oilers, who learned that Leon Draisaitl will return before the end of the regular season, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic before Friday’s win over San Jose. Draisaitl has missed Edmonton’s last four games with an undisclosed injury. Knoblauch also shared that goaltender Stuart Skinner will return to start two of the team’s last four games, that defenseman Mattias Ekholm is back to full health, and forward Trent Frederic might not be ready for the first game of the postseason. Nugent-Bowman also shared that defenseman Jake Walman would continue to sit out on Friday, but is expected to return in one of the team’s back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.

Both Ekholm and Skinner rejoined the lineup on Friday night after missing Edmonton’s last seven games. Ekholm’s injury wasn’t disclosed but Skinner had sustained a head injury on a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen in late March. Skinner served as the backup in his return, but Ekholm wasn’t as lucky. He stumbled a few times in his first few shifts and eventually left the game after just two minutes of total ice time. Winger Zach Hyman also left the game early, after just seven minutes of ice time. It wasn’t entirely clear where either Oilers skater was hurt. Knoblauch told Nugent-Bowman after the game that both Ekholm and Hyman will be questionable for game one of the playoffs.

No injury updates were provided about center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has missed the last two games with illness, or defenseman John Klingberg, who has missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury. Knoblauch did add that forward Evander Kane, who hasn’t played this season due to multiple surgeries, still does not have a clear timeline.

The wave of injury updates come at the right time for the Oilers. They have three games remaining in their season and a cushy role as the third-ranked Pacific Division squad all-but-locked up. The Oilers appear to be headed for a feud with the Los Angeles Kings in round one, and will need their offensive firepower to get over the defense that’s allowed the second-fewest goals in the Western Conference.

Draisaitl’s addition will go a long way towards achieving that goal. He’s among the top favorites for the Hart Trophy this season, after amassing 52 goals and 106 points in just 71 games. His scoring average puts him on pace for 122 points in 82 games – just shy of the career-high 128 points he recorded in the 2022-23 season. Draisaitl has performed at a superstar level once again this season, and getting a chance to return before the postseason kicks off should help him get back up to star speed before Edmonton’s must-win games.

Draisaitl will help pull the Oilers offense forward while Walman looks to assume a major role on defense. Ekholm leaves a top-pair role and over 22 minutes of ice time each game up for grabs, and Walman will be the primary beneficiary when he’s ready to return. The Trade Deadline acquisition has posted a fantastic eight points, six penalty minutes, and plus-five in 15 games with the Oilers, while averaging more than 21 minutes a game. He’s become an adequate support for top left-defender Darnell Nurse, and together the two will look to split Edmonton’s top role on the left-side. Ekholm will join the duo when he’s back to full health, giving the Oilers one of their deepest blue-lines headed into the postseason in recent memory.

That boost will help make up for blows to Edmonton’s complimentary cast. Hyman has continued to stand as a top scorer on the lineup with 27 goals – second-most on the team – and 44 points in 73 games this season. He’s once again dominating the net-front, a role that Edmonton has struggled to fill in his absence. That role could be managed by Trade Deadline buy Trent Frederic, though he’s only been healthy for one game since Edmonton sent a second-round and fourth-round draft pick to Boston for the centerman. His return will likely line up closely with Hyman’s, effectively defaulting Frederic to a role in Edmonton’s bottom-six – where he’ll look to carve out a role on the back of his size, 15 points in 58 games, and underperforming 10.3 shooting percentage this season.

Edmonton’s skaters will collectively look to bolster the product in front of starting goaltender Stuart Skinner, who has again struggled with consistency this season. Skinner has two shutouts on the year, but a .894 save percentage and 24-18-4 record through 48 starts. He’s been ever-so-slightly outperformed by backup Calvin Pickard in his absence, though Pickard’s 22-9-1 record and .902 save percentage don’t jump off the page either. Goaltending has been Edmonton’s achilles heel in past postseasons, and how Skinner is able to return from injury could go a long way towards shaping their playoff hopes. The Oilers will be looking to run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in due time, after they lost in game seven of the Finals to the Florida Panthers last season.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Oilers Expecting Healthy Lineup For Playoffs

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A laundry list of injuries has pulled the end of the Edmonton Oilers season into disarray. The bunch of inactive Oilers is led by superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who has missed the team’s last two and eight games respectively. They’re joined by a seemingly endless list of impactful Oilers on the sideline – including starting goaltender Stuart Skinner (six missed games), top-four defensemen John Klingberg (five games) and Mattias Ekholm (six games), and freshly-injured top-six centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. On top of that, Edmonton has only received one game out of Trade Deadline acquisition Trent Frederic, and continues to grapple with uncertainty around Evander Kane.

But with so much to bear through, Edmonton isn’t expecting the injuries to carry into the postseason. Head coach Kris Knoblauch shared in a Wednesday press conference that he expects to get “everybody” back from injury before the end of the season. He further specified that McDavid and Draisaitl will remain out on a day-to-day basis, up to a week. That timeframe puts the pair of superstars on track to return just ahead of Edmonton’s final games of the regular season, which take place on Monday April 14th and Wednesday April 16th.

The Oilers haven’t technically clinched a playoff spot just yet – but with a six-point advantage over the rest of the Pacific Division, a locked-in spot is a matter of when not if. That will make their half-strength run through the end of the season a bit easier to withstand, though the Oilers will still be icing an unprecedented lineup on Wednesday night. They’ll be without eight routine NHL players including Kane. That equates to $42.2MM in cap space that will be left on the shelf, as shared by Jason Gregor of Sports 1440.

The decimated Oilers will move forward with rookies Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue respectively filling the role of fourth-line center and backup goaltender. Second-year defenseman Ty Emberson will also stick in the Oilers lineup with this news, giving him a chance to continue the search for his first goal of the season. Emberson has 10 assists in 71 games this season, while Philp has recorded two assists in the first 12 games of his NHL career this year. Rodrigue has also played in the first two games of his NHL career this season, and has 25 saves on 29 shots (0.862 save percentage) and a 0-1-0 record.

Together, the trio of young additions will look to push Edmonton past a hard-nosed St. Louis Blues team, fresh off the end of a 12-game win-streak, on Wednesday night. They’ll be rewarded with a lighter game against the San Jose Sharks on Friday, but then close the year with matchups against the top-ranked Winnipeg Jets, playoff competition Los Angeles Kings, and another match against San Jose.

Snapshots: Tarasov, Dumba, Vanecek, Miller, Nugent-Hopkins

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It has been a tough year for Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov.  The 25-year-old has played to a 4.26 GAA and a .857 SV% in his nine starts and has only played once in the last month while AHL starter Jet Greaves has seen time with Columbus since then.  However, GM Don Waddell told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link) that he has no plans to put the netminder on waivers, feeling that Tarasov has too much talent to go through unclaimed.  Tarasov had some success just last season when he had a 3.18 GAA and a .908 SV% in 24 games so they’ll continue to work with him in practice for the time being.  It’s a contract year for Tarasov who will be owed a $1.26MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights this summer so he’ll need to turn things around soon or risk being a non-tender candidate in June.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Stars defenseman Mathew Dumba returned to practice today with a full cage, he will not suit up on Monday against Utah, relays Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports (Twitter link). He has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury.  It has been a tough first year in Dallas for Dumba as he has been limited to just one assist in 19 games so far this season which is not the type of production the team was expecting when they signed him to a two-year, $7.5MM contract this summer.
  • Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (subscription link) that they expect to have more information on the path forward for goaltender Vitek Vanecek in the next day or two. The netminder was hit by a puck on the bench on Tuesday and was listed as week-to-week.  He has since seen a specialist so further clarity on how much longer he’ll be out should be coming soon.  Vanecek, a pending unrestricted free agent, has a 3.84 GAA and a .885 SV% in 14 appearances this season.
  • Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller missed today’s game and remains listed as day-to-day, mentions NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link). New York was hoping that he’d be able to return from his upper-body injury but evidently, he wasn’t quite ready to do so.  The Rangers are in action on Monday against New Jersey so it’s possible that he returns then or they could opt to give him a few more days of rest over the break.  Miller has just six points in 30 games so far while sitting second in ice time among blueliners at over 21 minutes a night.
  • Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was scratched tonight due to illness, notes Bob Stauffer of 880 CHED (Twitter link). The veteran had played in all 33 games before this one but is having a quiet year offensively, tallying six goals and a dozen assists.  For comparison, Nugent-Hopkins had 18 goals and 49 helpers in 80 games just last season.

Snapshots: Bobrovsky, Ekblad, Nugent-Hopkins, Smith

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Florida Panthers fans are breathing a big sigh of relief this morning, with both star defender Aaron Ekblad and Vezina-finalist goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky good to go after missing the team’s Sunday morning practice, per Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Neither player were limited in the team’s Game 6 loss – with Bobrovsky facing 19 shots and Ekblad playing 21:37 in ice time – suggesting that their absences were merely for maintenance. Still, every update matters as the Panthers look to skid three straight losses in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Edmonton Oilers have outscored Florida 18-t0-5 over that stretch, with Bobrovsky posting a collective 0.793 save percentage. The Panthers will now return home for a winner-takes-all Game 7, seemingly still at full strength.

Other quick notes from around the league:

  • In the name of fairness, the Oilers are facing an injury scare of their own, with former-100 point forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missing the team’s Sunday practice with illness, per Jim Matheson of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nugent-Hopkins has been one of Edmonton’s top contributors this postseason, recording 22 points in 24 playoff games. That includes two points in Edmonton’s three-game win-streak – so far his only scoring in the Stanley Cup Finals. Nugent-Hopkins would leave a major role vacant should he be unavailable for Game 7, though there’s been no indication that Edmonton is expecting him to sit.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith has changed agencies ahead of the final year of his contract, now represented by CAA Hockey, per PuckPedia (Twitter link). CAA is the choice agency of many NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby, Matthew Beniers, Mathew Barzal, and Cole Caufield. It’s also the agency most akin to changing scenery – representing the recently-traded Pierre-Luc Dubois, rumored trade chip Rutger McGroarty, and hardened trade rumor veteran Jack Eichel. Smith takes on the new representation while looking to vindicate his final year at a $5MM price tag, though his 13 goals and 40 points last season fell short of expecations.

Evening Notes: Hanifin, Nugent-Hopkins, Jones, Crevier

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The Tampa Bay Lightning could be viewing Noah Hanifin as their replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, per TSN’s Chris Johnston on Insider Trading. Sergachev has had terrible injury luck this season, recently fracturing both bones in his lower left leg just 10 minutes into his return from a separate lower-body injury that held him out for two months. The 25-year-old defenseman has played just 34 games this season, scoring 19 points. He’s now out indefinitely and is currently on the team’s long-term injured reserve.

Hanifin would be a darling replacement for Sergachev and a major addition to a Tampa Bay blue line that’s been battered and bruised all season long. Hanifin has scored 30 points in 56 games this season, operating as Calgary’s clear-cut top defenseman and averaging over 23 minutes of ice time. His role in Tampa would likely be a bit easier and focus more on taking responsibility off of Victor Hedman’s shoulders. Hedman currently averages nearly 25 minutes of ice time each game, almost six minutes more than any other healthy Lightning defenseman.

Hanifin is on an expiring contract with a $4.95MM cap hit. He’s currently expected to test the open market, though any team that acquires him will get a head start in negotiating a new contract. Tampa Bay is expected to have $7.55MM in cap space available at the Trade Deadline but just $11.5MM available this off-season, with Steven Stamkos headlining their list of pending free agents. That likely limits their ability to give Hanifin the contract he’ll be asking for. All of these factors will undoubtedly come up in trade negotiations, as Tampa Bay looks to acquire one of the top names on the open market.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is out with illness and is questionable to play in the team’s Wednesday night matchup against the Boston Bruins, per Sportsnet columnist Mark Spector. Nugent-Hopkins has had another productive season with the Oilers, scoring 49 points in 52 games this season. That puts him on pace for 77 points through 82 games, which would be both the second-most Nugent-Hopkins has ever scored and a notable step down from the 104 points he scored in 82 games last season. His absence would likely lead to Connor Brown stepping back into the lineup, as Edmonton doesn’t have any extra forwards currently on the NHL roster.
  • Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is okay after taking a puck to the groin at the team’s Wednesday practice, while defenseman Louis Crevier is out with soreness after taking a puck to the face in the team’s last game, per team reporter Scott Powers. Crevier will be replaced by Isaak Phillips, who has six assists, 22 penalty minutes, and -22 through 29 games this season.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Edmonton Oilers.

Who are the Oilers thankful for?

Connor McDavid

The more things change, the more they stay the same, and that’s held true for the Oilers’ generational talent. McDavid is currently carrying 34 points through 22 games, tied with Cale Makar for eighth in the league in scoring. He’s reached that mark despite a slow start, scoring just four points in the first eight games of November. But things are clicking for the 26-year-old once more, as McDavid has scored an unbelievable 21 points in his last eight games. That’s an 82-game pace of 215.25 points – and while there’s a very slim chance that he ever breaks the 200-point ceiling, the fact that McDavid has held onto that scoring pace over more than a handful of games is incredible. He’s scored in every game over the eight-game stretch, recording multiple points in six of them, and is sticking to  Wayne Gretzky’s tactic of leaning into assists – with 16 of his recent 21 points coming in the form of helpers. The Oilers have faced a lot of adversity this season but McDavid has made it clear that he won’t let it get him down as he looks to top the 153 points he scored last year.

What are the Oilers thankful for?

A stretch of home games.

The Oilers have struggled to get things going on the road this season, with a dismal 4-8-0 record when playing in another team’s barn. That fact hasn’t gelled well with their early schedule, which had them on the road for 11 of their first 19 games. Their longest stretch of home games in November was a four-game stretch early in the month when the team was facing an injury to McDavid and swirling questions about then-head coach Jay Woodcroft. Both factors weighed heavily on Edmonton and they fell 1-3-0 before having to get back on the road.

The cycle seemed to be continuing as they lost their first three games of their most recent road trip – a four-game-long trip around the eastern-US. But with a 5-0 win over the Washington Capitals to cap it off, the Oilers found their momentum just in time for their recent stretch of four home games, and one away game at the neighboring Winnipeg Jets. Edmonton has been on fire now that they’re back at Rogers Place, currently on a six-game winning streak that’s seen them outscore their opponents 31-to-11. They’ve been getting everything they could want in their recent outings, scoring an average of roughly five goals each game and seeing their goaltenders post a collective .947 save percentage.

After a dismal start to the season, the Oilers are now truly looking like a team that can challenge the best in the West. They have four more games at home before they embark on a six-game road trip in late-December. New head coach Kris Knoblauch will hope a strong stretch at home will be enough of a boost to amend the Oilers’ current luck on the road.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

Consistent Goaltending.

The story of Edmonton’s early season has been one of underwhelming goaltending. The team has iced three different goalies this season, with all three recording a save percentage below .900. Starting goalie Stuart Skinner has managed a .888 through 19 games, en route to a 10-7-1 record. This is despite the Oilers facing a league-average xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) of 2.54, tied with Winnipeg for the 12th-best mark in the league, per Evolving Hockey. And while the former Calder Trophy runner-up Skinner has improved as of late – recording a .911 save percentage and 9-2-0 record in his last 11 games – there’s still reason to be uncertain in Edmonton’s crease. The Oilers are 3-12-1 when they allow three-or-more goals this season, emphasizing that the team is only as good as the goaltending that they receive. If they want to be true Stanley Cup-contenders, they’ll need to make sure their netminders are just as efficient as their scorers.

What should be on the Oilers holiday wish list?

A lucky trade offer.

The Oilers are clearly not far off from being a very scary team. Their top scorers – McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – are mostly performing as expected; the blueline has seen added help through the continued breakout of Evan Bouchard and the addition of Mattias Ekholm; and it seems Skinner is bringing some reliability back into the crease. But there still seems to be something holding back Edmonton from reaching their full potential. The team has six members of their forward group with fewer than eight points through their first 24 games and their defense seems to strike in waves.

But Edmonton has recently made former eighth-overall pick Philip Broberg available for a trade, something that could prove lucrative as many teams around the league look for a spark on defense. While Broberg’s professional career in North America is off to a choppy start, there are still teams around the league with high hopes for the 22-year-old defenseman. It helps that Broberg is on a cost-controlled deal, recording an $863K cap hit this season and set to become a restricted free agent next year. The right trade could be enough to patch one of the Oilers’ holes, whether it’s bringing in another depth-forward, providing more competition on defense, or adding support between the pipes. The NHL is gearing up for an exciting Trade Deadline and the Oilers could emerge from it with the plenty of hope for the future.

Evening Notes: Zadorov, Giordano, Hyman

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that there remains a lot of interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Among the teams interested are the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and fresh off their cap-clearing trade, the Vancouver Canucks.

Zadorov requested a trade a few weeks ago and at the time his agent Dan Milstein had hoped for a quick resolution although one has yet to be reached. Trades have proven difficult this season due to so many teams being within a million dollars of the NHL salary cap ceiling. The Flames have reportedly told Zadorov that they are willing to move him but will be patient in the process as they wait for the right deal to come along.

Zadorov has a goal and five assists in 21 games so far this season while averaging over 18 minutes a night in ice time.

In other evening notes:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that defenseman Mark Giordano will not return to tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury. It is unclear when Giordano sustained the injury as he had a shot on goal during his final shift and then remained on the ice until the Florida Panthers scored their first goal. The Maple Leafs’ defense core has been decimated by injuries which has forced Giordano to play in an elevated role after starting the season on the third pairing. The 40-year-old has a goal and four assists in 20 games this season and has an average 18:28 of ice time per game.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Zach Hyman won’t dress for tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an undisclosed illness. Hyman was a full participant in the team’s morning skate today taking his usual spot on the team’s top line but was not well enough to play this evening. Mattias Janmark was elevated into Hyman’s role alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which also opened a spot for Sam Gagner to be reinserted into the lineup. Hyman has been one of the Oilers’ most consistent players with 12 goals and 10 assists in 20 games this season.

Edmonton Oilers Rank Last In Salary Cap Rankings

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Daily Faceoff has ranked the Edmonton Oilers last in salary cap efficiency. This comes as no surprise after the website began its annual salary cap rankings list and after a deep dive into the numbers determined that there isn’t a team in a worse situation financially than the Oilers. It isn’t a shock given the Oilers current salary cap woes. The team finds itself with just 21 players on the roster and only $382,499 in cap space. Though finishing dead last on the list is new, Edmonton ranked second last in last year’s version of the list.

Daily Faceoff’s ranking system looks at no-move clauses, dead cap space, the quality of long-term contracts, bargain contracts, and the good deals versus the bad ones. Unfortunately, based on those criteria, it is easy to see why the Oilers find themselves at the bottom of that list. Edmonton has several problematic contracts on their books, and while they have some bargains like Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The bad deals outweigh the great ones.

Darnell Nurse is a really good defenseman; he eats a ton of minutes for the Oilers and plays a lot of tough situations. However, he does suffer a lot of mental lapses, and at $9.25 million a season, he just doesn’t bring the offensive upside you would like to see in a defenseman making that kind of money. Nurse is also likely to wear down as the miles pile up on his body. Those difficult minutes require that he play with a ton of physicality. It could take its toll on the 28-year-old when he gets on the wrong side of 30.

Some of the other bad contracts on the Oilers are goaltender Jack Campbell at $5MM per season as well as third-line winger Warren Foegele and third-pairing defenceman Brett Kulak at $2.75 million each. The contracts come in addition to the nearly $2MM per year the Oilers are still paying on the James Neal buyout.

On the surface, these contracts don’t look like outrageous overpayments because all the players listed above are still functional NHLers. However, in the flat cap era Campbell, Foegele, and Kulak are all replacement-level NHLers who could have been replaced by other players on contracts of less than $1MM per season. Couple that with the mishandling of Nurse’s previous bridge deals and it all amounts to around $10MM in inefficient salary cap spending that could lead to big problems for the Oilers down the road when they need to offer extensions to McDavid, Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.

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